Second Session, 42nd Parliament (2021)
OFFICIAL REPORT
OF DEBATES
(HANSARD)
Tuesday, April 13, 2021
Morning Sitting
Issue No. 45
ISSN 1499-2175
The HTML transcript is provided for informational purposes only.
The PDF transcript remains the official digital version.
CONTENTS
| Routine Business | |
Report on multiculturalism, 2019-20 | |
| Orders of the Day | |
TUESDAY, APRIL 13, 2021
The House met at 10:03 a.m.
[Mr. Speaker in the chair.]
Routine Business
Prayers and reflections: S. Chant.
Introductions by Members
R. Merrifield: April 9 is a very special day in our family, largely because it is my mom’s birthday. But it is also my significant other’s birthday, so we get the double whammy birthdays on April 9. This year we celebrated some significant milestones. Obviously, with COVID and the pandemic, it was very different.
Please, would the House join me in saying happy birthday to both my mom, Norma Merrifield, and my fiancé, Carlos Alentejano.
B. Anderson: Good morning. I would like to take the opportunity to introduce one of my newest constituents, Vivianne Lillie Jeanne Mungall. She is the daughter of Michelle and Zak and sister to Zavier.
When I asked the former minister how she and her family were doing, she told me: “We are doing really well. Our house is beaming with so much joy that rainbows must be bursting out our windows.”
I ask everyone to please welcome baby Mungall.
Tributes
M.K. LAM
T. Wat: It is with a heavy heart that I rise today to announce the passing away of one of B.C.’s greatest travel industry icons and Chinese-Canadian community leader, Mr. M.K. Lam.
M.K. Lam was a founder and CEO of JBC Travel Alliance, which oversees many other local travel agencies. He has been advocating for the travel industry and was well respected by the community. M.K. was also the president of Vancouver Cathay Lions Club and the director of the B.C. Business Development Association.
On behalf of the travel industry, the Chinese-Canadian community and the riding of Richmond North Centre, I would like to extend my most sincere condolences to M.K.’s family, Marian and Jason, and his friends. He will be missed and remembered.
Speaker’s Statement
VAISAKHI
Mr. Speaker: Hon. Members, before we begin proceedings, I would like to take a moment to extend warm wishes to all those who are celebrating Vaisakhi, to mark the beginning of the Sikh and Punjabi new year.
Under normal circumstances, Vaisakhi is marked by parades and lively festivities that bring friends and families together to share in the celebrations. We will still reflect on the establishment of the Khalsa in 1699 and its message of equality, social justice and protection of the less fortunate.
The COVID-19 pandemic will again require communities to forego traditional celebrations this year. But on behalf of all members and our constituents, let’s acknowledge this important occasion today and recognize the many contributions of the Sikh and the South Asian communities to British Columbia.
Waheguru Ji Ka Khalsa, Waheguru Ji Ki Fateh.
Statements
(Standing Order 25B)
VAISAKHI
R. Merrifield: Thank you, hon. Speaker. I’m going to piggyback on your introduction there, because today is an important day for many British Columbians, as people here and around the world celebrate Vaisakhi, the holiest day in the Sikh calendar.
It’s a special time of year, commemorating the founding of the Khalsa. Traditionally, it’s marked by colourful festivities, including parades, community events and families and friends coming together to celebrate. At home in Kelowna, I love walking in the annual Vaisakhi parade, enjoying a meal together and celebrating with my Sikh friends. I love the bright colours, but mostly the smiles.
We know that this year, again, celebrations will look a little different. However, despite the changes that COVID-19 has necessitated, it’s encouraging to see communities across B.C. adapt to honour this festival in a new, safe way, within family groups and through virtual programming.
Perhaps this is why the other aspect of Vaisakhi is so important, as it is also a time to reflect on the principles of justice, equality, charity and compassion, values that we need now more than ever.
We’ve seen numerous examples in the last year of the Sikh community in B.C. exemplifying these traits, stepping up to help those in need during a challenging time. Even now, with in-person events cancelled, some gurdwaras have decided to collect bags of rice, flour and lentils to give to people in need, a way of not only giving back to the community but also as part of recognizing Vaisakhi’s history as a harvest festival.
Hopefully, this is the last year celebrations have to take place virtually. Next year we can gather together again, and the largest Vaisakhi celebration in North America can return to B.C.
Today I want to wish everyone a very happy Vaisakhi, filled with joy, hope and family.
CREATIVE INDUSTRIES
B. D’Eith: I’m pleased to rise in the House to celebrate Creative Industries Week in British Columbia. From book publishing, magazines, interactive and digital media, music and motion pictures, we will highlight B.C.’s creative talent all week in the House.
I’ve worked for 30 years in the music industry, and I have three adult children working in music and video games. I absolutely love this week in the Legislature. In fact, one year during Creative Industries Week, I was lucky enough to get turned into an extraterrestrial through the incredible makeup effects of studio LSFX. The people at LSFX are just one example of the 100,000 skilled workers employed in British Columbia’s creative industries.
In fact, B.C. has the largest motion picture hub in Canada and the third-largest motion picture hub in all of North America, the second-largest English-language book publishing market in Canada and the third-largest centre for music in Canada. B.C. is the home to one of the world’s largest animation visual effects clusters and has the second-largest video game workforce in Canada.
The creative industries are true economic engines in B.C. In 2019-20, the creative industries sector contributed $4.85 billion in total GDP to B.C.’s economy.
Of course, the creative industries have had such an important impact on B.C. during the pandemic. Whether it’s telling stories on screen, on page or through music, they provided comfort when we needed it most.
We’re proud of creative industries like music, because we know they create jobs in our communities and support local businesses.
In fact, I had the honour of announcing $22.5 million of multi-year funding to Amplify B.C. This is the first time the industry had asked for that, to recover and thrive, and we listened.
This week you’ll hear how creative industries are adapting to the challenges and continuing to create. Please take the time to discover and support the amazing talent we have in B.C.
Thank you for joining me in recognizing Creative Industries Week.
PROPOSAL FOR
ANTI-RACISM EDUCATION
DAY
T. Wat: I rise in this House on Vaisakhi and the day before the beginning of Ramadan to speak on an issue that’s very close to my heart and the hearts of many British Columbians. On Sunday, March 28, I took part in the Stop Asian Hate rally on the front steps of the Vancouver Art Gallery to remember the lives lost in the horrific events that took place in Atlanta and to stand against the rise in hate crimes perpetrated against Asian Canadians.
Last year alone the Vancouver police department reported a 717 percent increase in hate crimes towards Asian Canadians. Anti-Asian hate crimes are [audio interrupted] that show the need for this province to stand against all forms of racism.
For nearly a decade, Canada saw an increasing number of incidents of racism and hate crimes against our Muslim and Jewish communities. Our society continues to grapple with racism towards Black and Indigenous communities as well as people of colour.
Our duty as British Columbians is to fight against the spread of hate and misinformation, especially in these challenging times. This is why, after consultation with many multicultural individuals and organizations, I decided to submit a proclamation to make May 29 of this year and every year anti-racism education day.
By creating an annual day for anti-racism education, a day to teach and promote tolerance and acceptance across British Columbia and to identify all forms of structural, systemic and institutional racism, we can put our words into action. In less than 48 hours, a petition to support this proclamation has garnered over 2,000 signatures, and the number is rising, including support from over 100 Chinese, Jewish, Punjabi, Filipino, Vietnamese and countless others, South Asians, representing over 20,000 members.
British Columbians are sending us a clear message. They want to see our home become a province that gives our children and their children the same opportunities regardless of their skin colour or religious beliefs.
I know this is a goal shared by all members of this House. We need your support for this proclamation to come into effect.
I hope that you will stand with us and that we can count on your support so that we can see this day become a reality, and we can build a better, more inclusive B.C. for all.
B.C. BOOKS AND PUBLISHERS
M. Dykeman: I’m pleased to rise in the House to celebrate Creative Industries Week in B.C.
Yesterday was B.C. Book Day. I’d like to recognize inspiring authors in my area like Mark Forsythe, author, historian and former radio host; and Kwantlen storyteller, poet and playwright Joseph Dandurand.
I’d also like to take this opportunity to highlight When We Are Kind, a special children’s book with a message, created here in our province. When We Are Kind celebrates simple acts of everyday kindness. It’s written by Monique Gray Smith, an Indigenous author who lives here in Victoria. Now, Monique herself will tell you that she wrote this book before COVID-19. But with this pandemic, “we need to be kind to each other” is certainly a message that resonates with us all.
I’m especially pleased to say that this book was illustrated by Nicole Neidhardt. Nicole was an Indigenous youth intern with the B.C. Arts Council in 2015-16 and helped distribute grants to artists. She is also a talented artist herself. It’s encouraging to see emerging illustrators like Nicole find success in their passion and be able to share their talent with the world.
When We Are Kind is published by Orca Books, also here in Victoria.
Before I close, I’ll mention one other B.C. publisher making headlines right now. Joshua Whitehead’s Jonny Appleseed won CBC’s Canada Reads contest last month. But you may not know that this book is published by Arsenal Pulp Press, a Vancouver book publisher with over 400 titles.
Our government is proud to support Orca Books and Arsenal Pulp Press through the B.C. Arts Council and to support Indigenous voices, stories and talents like those of Joshua, Monique and Nicole. These are just a few of the hundreds of British Columbians working in our publishing industry.
Creative Industries Week is a time to celebrate B.C. creators. I encourage everyone to check out the activities happening throughout the week at bccreates.com.
POLICE SERVICE OF LEN GOERKE
IN WEST
VANCOUVER
K. Kirkpatrick: Today I would like to honour the service of Len Goerke, who retired last month following a 34-year policing career, including the past 6½ years with the West Vancouver police department. Although my time as an MLA overlapped only briefly with the chief, I know that his reputation in the community and within the force is extraordinary and that he will be greatly missed by his community and his colleagues.
As someone who is constantly themselves correcting the pronunciation of their name, I could not help but laugh when Mayor Mary-Ann Booth of West Vancouver told me that the first time she met Len, he told her that in order to properly pronounce his name, she just had to remember that “Goerke” rhymed with “turkey” with a “G.” At that point, I knew I shared his sense of humour.
Prior to joining the West Vancouver police department as chief constable, he was the deputy chief constable of the Abbotsford police department. Len worked tirelessly in our community. He’s dedicated his career to ensuring the well-being and safety of the people who he works with.
Len’s passion and commitment to his work are enshrined in his approach to policing and the legacy that he leaves behind in West Vancouver. During his tenure, Len implemented an ambitious strategic plan and had a leadership style that elevated the morale of the force. He worked closely with the Integrated First Nations Unit and led the district in raising the flag and painting a crosswalk to build a kinder and more inclusive community of West Vancouver for the LGBTQ community.
Chief Goerke is a member of the Order of Merit of the Police Forces and a recipient of the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Medal and the Police Exemplary Service Medal. On March 25, the community celebrated his retirement and thanked him for his service to the West Vancouver police department and to the district of West Vancouver.
On behalf of all our constituents and myself, we wish him all the best in this next chapter.
Thank you very much.
FILM INDUSTRY PRODUCTION
DURING
COVID-19
H. Sandhu: Before I begin my statement, I would like to wish happy Vaisakhi and Ramadan Mubarak to many British Columbians.
I’m pleased to celebrate Creative Industries Week in B.C. Today I want to share with you a story of resilience from the motion picture industry.
Last spring there was a global shutdown of physical production, but the local crews did not sit still. Together the guilds, the unions, production companies, industry associations and government worked together on a safe restart plan. Because of this work, we were one of the first jurisdictions to restart production. More importantly, we’re considered one of the safest locations to film in North America. The result is that B.C. has had record-breaking production since reopening, including hitting an all-time high of 60 productions underway at one time last fall — for example, last year in Vernon, with hosted productions such as Under a Lover’s Moon and Love on the Vine.
Productions in our region are supported by professionals at the Okanagan Film Commission. We are so fortunate to have such talent and dedication to this industry in the Okanagan and across B.C. I want to take a moment and recognize the daily efforts of people like Jon Summerland, film commissioner for Okanagan films; Gina Sherritt and her crew, who style hair in full PPE; Cassandra Lacroix, who does makeup in full PPE; and Laura Clarke, who became their set’s COVID-19 safety supervisor to keep others safe.
These are just a few of the thousands of British Columbians who have adapted their daily work to protect people while creating world-class content. Please join me in honouring all of the people working in the motion picture industry who are working hard to keep creating safely to produce the content that has given us all comfort while we stay home.
Happy Creative Industries Week.
Oral Questions
SPECULATION AND VACANCY TAX
FOR SMALL
BUSINESSES
S. Bond: Well, today there are 4,400 fewer businesses in Vancouver since the onset of the pandemic. CFIB actually confirms that tens of thousands more businesses are at risk of closing their doors. This government has botched the small and medium-sized business grant program.
Support for the struggling restaurant industry, after another surprise this government gave them, is not new money. It will not cover expenses, much less provide support for displaced employees. Now this government is placing a speculation tax on the air above already struggling small businesses.
Will the Premier stand up today here in the Legislature, do the right thing and immediately axe the tax?
Hon. J. Horgan: I’ll just correct some of the comments in the member’s preamble. She made reference to the Canadian Federation of International Business and took a quote. I’ll throw one back.
The head of CFIB said just last week: “B.C. stands out among provinces in keeping our small and medium enterprises open. The devastation that I hear from my colleagues in Ontario is heartbreaking.” So the very quote that the member used is contradicted by the very people that she quoted.
What we’ve been trying to do from the outset is protect people, businesses and communities. And we’ve done that, to good effect. We’ve been having to pivot as the virus has pivoted. As the pandemic has changed, our response has changed.
I appreciate that the Leader of the Opposition has limited material to work with in these difficult times. But to quote people that say we’re doing a good job on one day and finding a negative quote the other is not helping us get through this together. We’re focused on three key priorities, as I said: people, communities and businesses. And we’re going to keep doing that.
With respect to the circuit breaker program that was announced in lightning speed, I know that the minister will get up shortly. An announcement was made on a Monday, the program was in place on a Friday, and money is being delivered, effective this morning.
Mr. Speaker: The Leader of the Official Opposition on a supplemental.
S. Bond: The Premier needs to actually stop and think about what he just said. He provides cold comfort to the hundreds of business owners across British Columbia that are struggling today and the ones that have been forced to close their doors. So he can trade quotes all he wants, but the fact of the matter remains. Businesses have closed; hundreds more are at risk of closing. And what does this Premier do? He taxes the air above their heads.
Let’s look at another quote, since the Premier seems interested in talking about them. Let’s see what the Vancouver BIA had to say about this issue, regarding taxing the air, the empty air, above businesses, including restaurants. Here’s what they had to say.
“The owners of businesses specifically zoned that are affected by this new tax are on the brink of closing their doors permanently. Their livelihood is at stake. They need the government’s support, not the government’s disdain.” “Disdain” is the word they used. “Even one small business shutting their doors is one too many in British Columbia because of this tax.” They also went on to say this to the Premier: “This tax is unfair. It is unjustifiable and completely wrong.”
The Premier can quote all the quotes he wants. Here are the facts: businesses are closing, more are at risk of closing, and he decided to implement a tax on the air above these businesses.
Will the Premier show some leadership, do his job, stand up and axe this unjustifiable tax today?
Hon. S. Robinson: This is absolutely a very difficult time for businesses. We’re very well aware of that. But let’s talk about the facts. It’s important to note that commercial properties are not subject to the speculation and vacancy tax. That’s a fact. It’s also a fact that a small number, a very small number, of commercial landlords have reclassified their properties to either begin a development process or to avoid paying commercial property taxes. And those same commercial landlords? They’re now trying to pass the cost on to their tenants.
The fact is that about 65 commercial properties — 65 in the entire province — are in this situation. Where I do agree with the members opposite: it’s not fair for small businesses to be punished for the actions of their landlords. That’s why I am bringing forward a measure to resolve the issue for this very small number….
Interjections.
Mr. Speaker: Members.
Hon. S. Robinson: Hon. Speaker, the member clearly isn’t interested in the response, because she’s not able to hear, which is really unfortunate. If she really cared about them, she would hear that we’re fixing it.
Interjections.
Mr. Speaker: Okay. All right, Members.
Members, it’s not a free-for-all. A question was asked; an answer was provided. Whether we agree or not, let’s move on.
M. Lee: Well, after years of this issue that was created by this government….This government brought forward an unfair tax for commercial businesses over three years ago. They’ve had over three years to fix this problem, and now we’re hearing that the minister is bringing forward a solution. Well, what do they have to say to all of those small business owners, the women and men who have struggled to make ends meet for their employees and their families?
This government has bungled and dithered with this challenge for so many of these small businesses on this unfair tax on air. Many of these businesses are in the ridings for the member for Vancouver–False Creek, the member for Vancouver–West End, the member for Vancouver-Fairview, the member for Vancouver–Point Grey, as well as my riding, as the member for Vancouver-Langara.
This government has delayed its budget. There’s been no certainty in the middle of the pandemic. And what happened to these small businesses? They found out two months ago that there would be this additional speculation tax on air. And this is what the government had to say. They said: “We expect the number of affected properties to be quite low.” That’s what the minister just said — 65. Well, there have been others in the community, of course — those who have been advising many small businesses across Vancouver — that say this number is actually in the hundreds, over 400 in fact. But regardless, this government has failed small business owners and done this in the middle of a pandemic.
I’d ask: will the Premier apologize to these many small business owners, including those in Vancouver, who have had to deal with this in the middle of a pandemic, for failing to deal with this issue sooner than now?
Hon. S. Robinson: It would appear that the opposition has a hard time to pivot. They can’t seem to change their questions, given that we’ve provided them with an answer that we are bringing in a fix for the very few number of properties where this is an issue.
Now, I want to remind the members opposite that there was a two-year exemption for vacant land, which expired this year. Many of those with split assessments — there are about 190 of those properties — are moving into redevelopment. This is a good thing.
This is a good thing, hon. Member, because we want to make sure that we have the ability to build more housing for people. Residential zoning should be to build housing. We need more housing in this province, and that’s what this is about — making sure that those who have the capacity to redevelop are doing it. This is making that happen.
Absolutely, there are a number — a very small number — less than 65, I would suggest…. Many of those 65 are in the redevelopment process, which gives them an exemption. Those that are being redeveloped have an exemption opportunity, and we’re going to be working with those landlords to make sure they’re taking advantage of the exemption.
Unfortunately, there are a number of landlords that are making a different choice. They’re choosing to pass on the speculation vacancy tax to their tenant. We think that’s wrong. We’re developing a fix. It will be imminent and making sure that those businesses do not have to pay that property tax.
What’s really unfortunate, I have to say, and very disappointing is that the members opposite would rather that every small business that is really worried…. They’re really worried about their longevity, really worried about their ability to get through this pandemic — and they’re adding fuel to their anxiety unnecessarily, and that’s not fair either.
Mr. Speaker: The member for Vancouver-Langara on a supplemental.
PROPERTY TAX ASSESSMENT INCREASES
AND PROPOSED
LEGISLATION
M. Lee: As I said, this is an issue that this government created 3½ years ago. They have dithered. They’ve bungled on this issue and this challenge. The lack of clarity from this minister as to what solution they’ve brought forward — we haven’t seen the details. We hear the minister is still working on the details.
How about this? We know, of course, that for many family-owned stores, arts and cultural groups, charities and other small businesses, they’ve been forced to pay massive tax bills on the undeveloped space above their buildings, a tax on air. This is the same issue that this government promised to bring forward legislation on, which has been a complete failure. No municipality has adopted their so-called, failed legislation.
The member for Kamloops–South Thompson has brought up repeatedly in this House a private member’s bill that is well considered to deal with the split class assessment so that businesses are not being forced to pay what is a very unfair tax that is driving many of these businesses out of business. This was before the pandemic. It’s this government’s failure to assist and work with those organizations and municipalities to have an effective solution.
This government is failing, and at a time during the pandemic. They’re failing to act. They delayed the budget. They delayed their measures.
To the Premier, will this government bring forward effective legislation to deal with the split class assessment?
Hon. S. Robinson: First of all, I want to point out that the speculation and vacancy tax has brought forward 18,000 homes into being. The opposition might choose to ignore that, but that has had real effect and real impact for British Columbians.
I also want to point out that the member referred to his colleague’s private member’s bill. Well, that doesn’t address the situation at all, because it doesn’t deal with residential class at all. So it wouldn’t be a fix at all. As I’ve said previously, we are dealing with the issue that is at hand. It will be resolved.
ACCESS TO DATA ON COVID-19 VARIANTS
S. Furstenau: For months, we’ve been asking this government about data and asking them to be more transparent with data as a way to ensure that the public understands the reasons behind health orders and recommendations and can also understand what is informing government decision-making.
Today the Toronto Star headline captures this issue rather starkly. “As Whistler launches vaccination push, experts say B.C. has a COVID-19 data problem.” The article points out that B.C. “has generally stood out as a jurisdiction that is particularly poor at data transparency.” In Ontario, data collection is informing vaccine rollout in a more transparent way, with clear communication from government about what is informing their decisions. As Jean-Paul Soucy of COVID-19 Canada Open Data Working Group points out: “Far from promoting stigma for these neighbourhoods, what it’s done is actually pointed out deficiencies and inequalities. It…drives the conversation around how policy can change…to ameliorate these existing inequalities.”
We’re in a third wave, with variants of concern spreading throughout the province, and decisions about vaccine rollout are shifting, as has happened with Whistler. I have no doubt that data is informing the decisions here. But for the most part, British Columbians are left to connect the dots themselves, and questions are being asked about other regions and neighbourhoods where caseloads are high and decisions aren’t shifting.
My question is to the Minister of Health. Will he commit to improving data transparency, moving forward, as a way to rebuild public trust, and can he provide specific examples of how he will improve data transparency?
Hon. A. Dix: Thank you to the member for her question. The member will know — she refers to variants of concern — that we have done more genomic testing in B.C. than any other jurisdiction in North America. The reason is because, clearly, variants of concern are driving and helping to drive the current third wave of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Last Thursday Dr. Henry briefed the media, British Columbians, everyone, at length on this question. There will be a further briefing this Thursday with more detailed information about variants of concern and about where we stand in the pandemic. British Columbia was first to give the public access to its modelling, back in March of 2020, and we are going to continue to inform the public about what the elements are that should inform what they do and what government will do and what vaccination plans will do to deal with this third wave of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Mr. Speaker: The Leader of the Third Party on a supplemental.
S. Furstenau: I expect part of the reason why B.C. is doing more genomic testing of variants of concern is because we have more variants of concern than almost anywhere else. Let’s consider how B.C. has handled variants of concern.
Interjections.
S. Furstenau: Indeed, it is not.
Unlike other provinces, there was initially a significant lag in reporting on variants of concern, as the faster PCR results were not released, meaning that the variant data was only released after genomic testing. There has been a shift to this.
Last week the provincial health officer announced: “We will no longer routinely genome sequence for confirmation. We’ll just assume that those screened positives will be the variants.” There is confusion around this.
My question is to the Minister of Health. Can the minister please explain exactly what the process is and will be in B.C. for testing variants, whether B.C. will be screening all positives for variants, and how will this data will be shared with the public?
Hon. A. Dix: With respect to the latter, there was a detailed briefing last Thursday. There will be a detailed briefing this Thursday, led by the extraordinary epidemiological team at the B.C. Centre for Disease Control and our extraordinary provincial health officer, Dr. Bonnie Henry. She’ll take the member and all British Columbians through the most up-to-date information about the COVID-19 pandemic, as she has done from the beginning of the pandemic.
The member is quite wrong with respect to genomic testing in B.C. It may make a good line in question period, but that’s not the case. It reflects the commitment of the BCCDC to do everything they can to respond to this pandemic, to provide the information for policy-makers — yes; to provide the information for health practitioners — yes; and to provide information to the public. That will continue to happen, including last week, including up to Thursday, including yesterday and including this Thursday, when the presentation on the new modelling, including detailed information on variants of concern, will be provided.
COVID-19 CIRCUIT BREAKER
RELIEF GRANT FOR
BUSINESSES
B. Banman: Can the Premier confirm the circuit breaker grant is not new money because it was ripped out of the small business recovery grant?
Hon. R. Kahlon: Thank you to the member for the question. We’re very proud that we were able to launch a program to support businesses, after the order by Dr. Henry last Monday, in record time. In fact, I’m not aware of any program in provincial history that was turned around in a week. It’s quite remarkable.
I want to thank the public servants of British Columbia for their extraordinary work. Many of them worked over the long weekend to make sure we had a program available — $50 million that’s available. The program, in fact, launched this morning. I encourage small business to apply. We had over 100 businesses apply within the first 25 minutes of the grant opening up.
It’s $50 million available for small businesses. We all should be proud of all the money that we have collectively approved in this House to ensure that businesses have the supports they need. As the pandemic changes, so have the supports. The money is available. It’s new money to the businesses that need it most.
Mr. Speaker: The member for Abbotsford South on a supplemental.
B. Banman: Will the Premier admit the small business grant is a failure because he still hasn’t been able to get all the money out the door?
Hon. R. Kahlon: Clearly question period is not the same without Jas Johal in this place.
I’ll share with the member a couple of quotes. We had a quote here from Fiona Famulak, who is the new CEO of the B.C. chamber, who said: “We’re delighted that Minister Kahlon announced the circuit breaker business relief grant on Friday. It’s exactly what businesses needed.”
We also heard from Bridgitte Anderson, the CEO of the Greater Vancouver Board of Trade, who helped us in making sure that this program will be accessible to as many businesses as possible, saying: “First and foremost, the government responded very quickly, and I think that’s really important to commend them for that.”
We’re very proud at the speed that we moved — again, thankful to the public servants for their incredible work to get this program in place. We’ve streamlined it.
We took the advice of all of the associations, which represent members in restaurants and breweries, even those that represent members that are in the fitness sector. They gave us advice. We worked with them. We created this program. We’re incredibly proud, and we encourage as many businesses as possible to apply for these dollars.
C. Oakes: Details are critically important.
Can the Premier confirm that a business with four employees will get $2,000 for the circuit breaker grant?
Hon. R. Kahlon: I’ll confirm to the member and to the viewers that every business that was impacted by the circuit breaker, whether they had no employees or whether they have 200 employees, can apply for the program and receive dollars.
Mr. Speaker: The member for Cariboo North on a supplemental.
C. Oakes: Well, it’s critically important that this government comes out with details.
Can the Premier confirm that a business with five employees will get more than twice as much money because they have one extra employee?
Hon. R. Kahlon: What I’ll share with all the members of this House is what I’ve just shared previously, which is every business — even businesses that don’t have any employees, that operate by themselves — will receive the dollars. Businesses that were open prior to the pandemic can use their employment numbers before the pandemic came in place so they can maximize the dollars that are available. Businesses that opened up during the pandemic can use the numbers that they had prior to the circuit breaker. So we can ensure that all businesses, regardless of when they opened, can access these dollars.
We are proud of the supports we have put in place. Members across the aisle should be proud as well — highest per-capita supports for businesses and people across the country. This program was put in record time, and I know it’s being well received. Certainly the members, if they talk to the associations that represent members that are affected, will tell them the exact same thing.
K. Kirkpatrick: The Minister of Jobs had this to say about the circuit breaker grant: “This grant is not going to cover the losses of all businesses. There’s just no way.”
Does the Premier agree with the minister’s bleak assessment?
Hon. R. Kahlon: I will say that businesses that applied and successfully received the money for the small business grant that were also impacted by the circuit breaker don’t need to reapply. They automatically get these additional dollars. Businesses that also are in the process of their application but have not been notified of their approval yet don’t need to reapply. We’ve proactively reached out to them to let them know that these dollars are available.
The program is already popular. I want to do a special shout-out and thank you to all of the business associations — the chambers, CFIB, ABLE-BC, the restaurant associations, the breweries associations — for working so proactively with us to make sure this program is right, this program is launched fast and it’s accessible to as many of their members as possible. Credit goes a lot to them for their feedback. I really appreciate their commitment to serving their members and serving the province.
Mr. Speaker: The member for West Vancouver–Capilano on a supplemental.
K. Kirkpatrick: Can the Premier tell us what the average loss of each business is and how much will not be covered by government?
Hon. R. Kahlon: I think the members in this chamber will know that every business has been impacted differently. You know, the throne speech referred to all of us being in the same storm but all of us being impacted differently. That’s certainly the case for businesses.
Some businesses, in fact many businesses, are doing very well. But there are some that are struggling — those in hospitality, those in tourism. Those are the businesses that directly benefit from these dollars.
Again, we’re proud of the support we’ve put in place. It’s available to businesses that opened up prior to the pandemic, as well as businesses that opened up during the pandemic. Again, I encourage all the members of this House to help spread the word in their communities to make sure as many of their businesses that are affected can access these dollars. We know that it’s a challenging time for businesses.
Working closely with the Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture to make sure that as many businesses that are impacted can get the supports they need — again, highest in the country, per capita. We’re very proud of it.
G. Kyllo: To the Premier, how many businesses will qualify for the full $10,000 grant?
Hon. R. Kahlon: We estimate about 14,000 businesses have been impacted by the circuit breaker. Our hope is that all 14,000 businesses apply for this. That’s why the Minister of Finance worked so closely with us to ensure $50 million were available, estimated off our estimates of how many businesses were impacted. Certainly, our hope is that businesses that are affected during the pandemic use the employment numbers that they had prior to the circuit breaker and businesses that were open prior to the pandemic use the employment numbers they had prior to the pandemic coming, so they can maximize the dollars that are available to them.
Again, this is not just one program. Again, I’m going to go back to a comment that Fiona, the CEO of the chamber of commerce, made. I think it’s important to hear this. She said: “It’s important not to view the grant in isolation. It’s important to remember that it supplements the many other financial programs that are available, through both the provincial and federal governments, that have been created to keep businesses in business through the pandemic and beyond.” This is a quote from the CEO of the B.C. chamber.
Again, I want to thank all of those associations, because we would not have been able to get this program right for everyone without their support. I’m really grateful for their work.
Mr. Speaker: The member for Shuswap on a supplemental.
G. Kyllo: Will the grant be extended or increased should the health orders be extended?
Hon. R. Kahlon: Again, the quote I just shared a moment ago…. We have the highest per-capita supports in the country. We’re proud of that. I know the Minister of Finance is working on the budget, which will be coming out soon. Our focus is to keep supporting businesses. The Premier has been clear. We’re going to continue to support people and businesses through this pandemic.
We know that the light at the end of the tunnel is getting brighter, but at the end of the day, we’re still in this, and we’re in it for a little while still. We’re going to continue to support businesses. Businesses can apply. As I mentioned, we already had over 100 businesses apply. That was an hour ago. I suspect the number is much higher.
Again, I would encourage the member and all members of this chamber to get their businesses into the queue so they can get the funds, because the dollars are available to them.
P. Milobar: Well, the Premier and the minister can say how proud they are of this program, but the reality is that today we have asked eight very succinct, very direct questions, specifically about the circuit breaker program, and the minister has dodged around every single answer.
We asked very clearly if a business with four employees would get $2,000. No answer from the minister directly to that. No answer directly about a business with five employees receiving $5,000 for that one extra employee. We asked about how many businesses would qualify for the full $10,000 — no answer from that.
In fact, the minister talks about 14,000 businesses. Well, 14,000 businesses do not qualify for $10,000, and they certainly can’t be paid for out of $50 million. The simple math would say that 14,000 divided into $50 million is $3,500 on average. But the minister won’t be forthright with that answer about how many people would even qualify for the full $10,000. In fact, the backgrounder in the press release made it very clear that the government expects the majority of applicants to qualify for $5,000, yet the minister keeps talking about a $10,000 grant for 14,000 businesses.
It’s simply not accurate, and in fact, they will not tell us clearly whether or not the $50 million is new money or comes directly out of the failed business recovery program, because they’ve not been able to get the $345 million out the door in the last eight months.
To the Premier, can the Premier tell us exactly why those questions are not being answered directly and when people can expect proper supports to be in place for them, through the circuit breaker, through extended health orders that will come in, and why that hasn’t been laid out for people already?
Hon. R. Kahlon: In fact, I’ve answered all the questions that the members have asked.
Businesses that have no employees qualify for money. Businesses that have over 100 employees qualify for money. In fact, the process is very simple, and I’ll share that for the members. Businesses go online. The website is live right now.
Interjections.
Hon. R. Kahlon: The member from Kamloops may want to hear the answer. It might help his businesses in his community.
Businesses can apply. We’re asking them to submit either a business licence or a liquor licence to confirm that their business is operating. We’re asking them to share with us how many employees they had, whether that’s a business that opened during the pandemic and can share the numbers they had before the circuit breaker. Businesses that opened up pre-pandemic can use that number. And they can give us their information on where we can send them the money. Very simple process.
Again, we are incredibly proud. And the member should be proud as well for supporting the highest per-capita supports for people and businesses in the country. This month, in the labour force survey, we were at 100.8 percent of pre-pandemic job levels, and all of us should be proud of that.
I would encourage all the members to encourage their businesses to apply. The dollars are available.
[End of question period.]
Tabling Documents
Hon. D. Eby: I have the honour to present the Report on Multiculturalism, government of British Columbia, 2019-20. I’d like to particularly express my appreciation to the Parliamentary Secretary for Anti-Racism Initiatives and her team in preparing it.
Hon. M. Farnworth: I seek leave to move four motions to appoint four special committees. The full text of these motions has been provided to the other House Leaders.
Mr. Speaker: Members, request for leave has been made.
Interjection.
Mr. Speaker: Okay. We’ll proceed after lunch today on these motions.
Orders of the Day
Hon. M. Farnworth: I call throne speech debate.
[N. Letnick in the chair.]
Deputy Speaker: Recognizing the member for Surrey-Panorama to move the motion for debate on the throne speech.
Throne Speech Debate
J. Sims: I move, seconded by the member for Langley East:
[That we, Her Majesty’s most dutiful and loyal subjects, the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia in session assembled, beg leave to thank Your Honour for the gracious speech which Your Honour has addressed to us at the opening of the present session.]
It’s my pleasure today to rise and speak in support of the speech that was delivered to us. Before I get going on the speech, I do want to recognize that today is a very special day for people around the world in two different communities, I would say — for those celebrating Vaisakhi, whether they are in India or around the world or right here in Surrey-Panorama, and also for those marking the beginning of Ramadan today.
I wish everyone a happy Vaisakhi and also wish them Khalsa Sirjana Divas, or Khalsa Day. This is a time of spring, but it’s also the commemoration of the founding of the Khalsa. For those celebrating or marking the beginning of Ramadan, this is a time of reflection. This is a time of sacrifice. This is a time to be thankful for all that we have. So wishing everyone Ramadan Mubarak and happy Vaisakhi, or Vaisakhi Diyan Lakh Vadhaiyan.
Well, yesterday we had the pleasure of hearing the throne speech being delivered. I can say it has been a very, very difficult 14 months for British Columbians and around the world. We have gone through a pandemic that is unprecedented. We have seen, during these very, very difficult times, the challenges faced, not only here in B.C. but around the world.
It would be remiss of me if I didn’t do a shout-out at this time to all the health care workers and all other front-line workers who’ve done an amazing job over the last 14 months. This hasn’t been a sprint. This has been a long run, and we’re not at the end of it yet. I know people are working long hours. Some of them are working many, many shifts without a break in our hospitals and caring for those who are ill.
Thank you to you, and I want to thank our police, our firefighters, our teachers, child care workers, our front-line workers in our grocery stores, our truck drivers, taxi drivers — everybody who has worked so hard to keep our economy going and to give us a sense of normalcy during these very, very difficult times.
I want to do a particular shout-out to Surrey Memorial Hospital. I’ll start with Fraser Health first. Fraser Health has done a fantastic job with their communication and outreach with anything related to COVID. Managing such a huge portion of the province has been challenging, but they’ve certainly delivered — the testing and vaccine sites and all those who work there, whether it’s drive-through or walk-ins; the kind, organized and efficient reception that people receive and they talk about. Also, the online booking has gone so amazingly well.
Then Surrey Memorial Hospital. We always hear about the overcrowding of Surrey Memorial Hospital, and sometimes feelings aren’t so great. But I can tell you that for people who have had the misfortune of having to go to Surrey Memorial Hospital, the feedback we have had is that the service they have received has been first-class care and communication with families. Nurses and doctors have added regular phone calls from families to their busy days. Families are calling all hours asking for updates and are pleased with the service they are getting.
You know, the hospitals and our public health care systems have been so creative. Thank you so much for everything that they have been doing and to all the non-profits who have worked so hard during these difficult times to support people going through COVID.
Right now it would be remiss of me if I didn’t acknowledge the families and friends and communities who have lost loved ones due to COVID. It has been, as I said, a long haul. There are many families who are grieving.
There are those of us who lost family members through this period, not due to COVID but for other reasons. But whichever reason we lost them, the way we grieve has changed dramatically and has not provided people with the kinds of supports they have needed. So once again, our hearts go out to each and every person who has been impacted by COVID and to those who have lost loved ones during these very, very difficult times.
As we look at the worldwide pandemic, I don’t think there is even one of us who is in the House or who is newly elected who, 14 months ago, thought we would still be in the middle of a pandemic, never mind the peak of a third wave that has hit us now. So yes, it’s been very difficult, not only just on our health care system but on individuals.
During this time, Dr. Bonnie Henry has done an outstanding job, and I’m always reminded of the words she uses constantly: “Be kind. Be supportive.” This is a pandemic unknown to any of us. It has had its challenges. No one has the answers. There isn’t a clear road map that is laid out — this, this, this — because it is a pandemic. It is a health pandemic, so we’ve had to be…. I can’t even think of the word. We’ve had to adapt as we’ve come along, and that is going to have to keep happening.
We’ve gone into a very [audio interrupted] restrictions, then we had some [audio interrupted] then we’ve moved back into restrictions, because we are responding to a health pandemic. I know there are times, especially for a lot of people out there who just want to get out there and socialize…. As we have been told a number of times, those days will come, but until that time, our focus has to be on our households. Do the socializing within your households. Please go out and enjoy the beautiful weather that we have started to have, but enjoy it with your own immediate household. If you’re adding other people to your walk, make sure that you keep safe, keep your distance and you wear masks when you get close to people.
Over the last 14 months, we’ve seen that governments worldwide, nationally here and provincially have to do things differently. We’re even doing parliament differently. The House of Legislature sits differently. So much has changed in our lives, but there is a quote I want to read out that was said by the Premier of this province. He said: “The focus of government from day one has been to put people first…. We moved quickly to provide relief for renters, middle-class families, hard-hit businesses and the most vulnerable. But we know that while we are all in the same storm, we are not all in the same boat.” That was what was told to us in the throne speech.
There is still so much more to do to make sure that people get the support they need and that no one is left behind. But when I’m thinking about this and the supports that are available…. Before I get on to the government supports, I have to do a shout-out to the churches, the gurdwaras, the masjids, the synagogues, to all the non-profit societies, whether it’s diversity, whether it’s options, whether it’s success — so many I may not be able to mention, so I want to say all of the non-profits who have stepped forward to assist.
So many people have been providing food. There was an establishment of a new food bank. The Surrey Food Bank and the food banks across the province have done an amazing job, but Guru Nanak food bank was established, and they have been making sure that food gets to not only the Lower Mainland but right across this province. They have delivered far and wide.
I also want to talk about the masjids that have had drive-through pickups of food. They have made donations to the other food banks as well. And to the non-profits, who have had major challenges just as businesses have had, who’ve stepped forward to provide supports, whether it’s counselling or whether it’s calling people, checking up on those who are living alone — a big, big thank-you to all of you.
When we started this pandemic, B.C. was pretty well grounded in its economy. We were doing well when we compared ourselves to the rest of the provinces, but we still had a lot more to do. During the pandemic, it’s that positioning that we had before the pandemic that has helped us, has guided us through this time so that now, when you look at the numbers that were released last week, B.C. is doing well economically, compared to the rest of the provinces.
Yes, employment is back to where it was pre-COVID, but we do know there are still so many who are suffering. We know that there are so many people, businesses that are struggling, individuals who are struggling. That is why our work is not finished. This is not partisan work. This work we have to do about rebuilding and restart for the province crosses all party lines, because every one of us wants to rebuild a British Columbia that benefits each and every one, not just the wealthy few.
This is what this pandemic has shown us. The divide and the inequality that existed prior to COVID were highlighted during COVID. Now we have an amazing opportunity before us to rebuild our province, to rebuild our country, that takes those inequities into consideration and starts to address all of those. Yes, we are in the middle of a pandemic. Yes, we have a long way to go. But at the same time as we’re dealing with the rigours and the challenges of the pandemic, we cannot separate that from keeping things going.
I want to do a shout-out to our school system — to the teachers, to the teaching assistants, to the education assistants, to the caretakers, to the principals and vice-principals, to the superintendents who have done an absolutely amazing job during a very challenging time. Not only did they have to get the schools ready, but they were dealing with students who are under incredible pressure, who are facing the challenges of COVID with increasing mental health issues and other challenges that happen when one is confined into a small area.
I want to thank them for the amazing job that they have done. I know schools have challenges. They continue to have challenges. We, as a government, I know are committed to working with the teachers and with the other partner groups to make sure we address those challenges so that our public school system works the very best for our kids. As I said, we learn new things every day. As we learn those things, you need to know that you have very, very strong voices, right in government and in the Legislature, who speak out for additional supports that are needed in the school system.
As I said, this is the toughest challenge we have faced. We are beginning to see the end in sight. I’d like to say it’s going to be tomorrow, but that is not so. But we are getting vaccinated. I want to do a shout-out to that team as well, because I think the way the vaccination has been rolled out has been absolutely amazing. I can tell you I registered according to my age group. I have registered, and it took me less than a minute and a half to register. I do get my vaccination tonight. When I did get my appointment, that took me just over a minute to be able to go in and select a time and date.
So it’s going well, but we still have a lot of people not vaccinated yet. I am going to encourage all of you who are eligible right now in this age group to go online and to register and then go and get your vaccine.
That is moving very, very fast, but we still have to be vigilant. We still have to keep socially distanced. We still have to wear masks when we go inside. We still have to limit our socialization to people who live inside with us. Right now, if you are getting together with friends, we do have to do that outside. Try not to travel, unless it is absolutely essential. Stay in your own neighbourhood, and enjoy the beautiful province that we have.
We are not able to travel freely yet, nor can we go out and socialize freely. Those days will come, as the vaccination proceeds. Almost every day we are getting more vaccines. I can tell you that the province is getting the vaccines out as fast as we are getting them. The feds are getting them to us as fast as they can get them to us.
I know I’ve heard criticisms saying: “Why aren’t we producing our own vaccine?” There have been major investments in labs, and in the future, that potential will be there. Because of actions of long-ago governments, we didn’t have that potential right here, so we have been dependent on other countries and agreements to get the vaccine.
But a big, big thank-you to everybody who’s working in there. I am going to encourage all of you to go out and register, because this is one way to keep us safe. But also, as we’re looking at that light at the end of the tunnel, let us remember that, at this last stretch, sometimes you just want to relax. This requires a lot of energy and a lot of thoughtfulness. That same kind of thoughtfulness we had last February, March, is needed right now, so we are very thoughtful about what we touch, where we go, who we mix with. It’s that thoughtfulness and then taking the precautions and then taking the vaccine that is going to take us to that space, which is better for all of us.
The throne speech highlighted some amazing things. I’m so, so proud to be able to speak in support of those.
Improving our health care system. The minister — one of the hardest-working ministers I have ever known — really had started to do the work in this area anyway, but since COVID, he has accelerated that work as well and is making sure that we are addressing the inadequacies and filling in the cracks that were exposed during this time.
We know that surgery wait-times had been reduced dramatically. Then we had to stop the elective surgeries. Surgeries got going again, and once again we were catching up. Right now there is a little bit of a chill on that as well. But the amount of work that was done and continues to be done to keep these going 24-7 has been really, really amazing, including the extraordinary number of primary care centres that have been put all over the place.
This throne speech is also about one thing that impacts every British Columbian, and that is to make life more affordable. Making life more affordable is important. Having a roof over one’s head is important. We know that we’ve had housing challenges; a housing market that was allowed to go, I would say, rampant. We know the impact money laundering had on that. Even though a lot of those gaps have been sealed, so to speak, we still continue to have challenges in the housing market. I’m proud of the commitment that the government has made to build more affordable housing.
Also, I’m very, very proud of the fact that so much work has been done to house the homeless. When we house the homeless, that is a huge saving on society. It’s the humane thing to do, but also we know it has incredible economic gains. It saves on health care. It saves on many of the other crises we have, and it gives people an opportunity to get back into the workforce, regrow the good-paying jobs and grow the economy.
In the middle of these difficult times, investment in affordable housing is very, very critical. Over the last few months, we’ve seen the pent-up buying frenzy that occurred over the last month or so. We know that had an impact on house prices as well, but, really, we need more supply. I’m so happy to see that the government is committed to this.
It’s also about ICBC. Once again, a shout-out to the Attorney General, who has done an amazing job in the past. Now the Solicitor General continues on with that work to address the dumpster fire that was left for us when we became government. Not only is the dumpster fire out — thank you to the AG — but now, through the Solicitor General, we are beginning to see a stabilization for ICBC, so that folks are not only beginning to get their rebates for during the COVID period, but they’re also going to see rebates as we move into a more care-based model. All those things will make it easier for people.
You know, being a mom and a grandmother — many of you know that I’m a very, very proud great-grandmother as well — I can remember advocating for child care all my life, as far back as I can remember, because we know how important child care is. I’m so pleased to see the continued commitment and the increased commitment to provide quality, affordable child care for people who live in British Columbia. Once again, the minister and the minister of state have done an amazing job in this area so far.
I am always happy to hear from parents in my community who come in to tell us how grateful they are, how much the affordable child care — the $10-a-day child care — has changed their lives and what it has meant to them and to their families. So a big thank-you for that. We know that investment in child care is good for kids, because it gives them a head start for education, but we know that it is good for health care as well.
Investment in child care is good for our economy. There is sound research out there to show you that every dollar invested in child care can reap up to $5 back in the way of economic growth — not only due to savings in education, in health care and in many other areas, but also as more daycare centres are built and as more child care workers, early childhood educators, are hired. Also, with moms and dads being able to go back to work, they’re feeling secure that their children are being looked after.
We’re not the only jurisdiction. There is a very strong history from jurisdictions right around the country — like Quebec, specifically — but also from Europe, which shows the huge economic benefits to our communities, to our economy, to our society, when we invest in child care.
I know I’ve heard the odd person say, “My kids are grown up” or: “I have not had kids. So why should I invest in child care or public education?” Well, I can tell you that every one of us, whether we’ve had children or not, will benefit from child care and from public education. Our doctors, our lawyers, our plumbers, our electricians, our housekeepers, our cooks, our postal workers — you name it — all of them are going to benefit.
As they benefit, we also get to benefit from those services. As our economy grows more decent-paying jobs and more tax is collected, that goes into supporting the benefits that we all get to enjoy, and the infrastructure that we all get to enjoy and need to have.
For me, child care is good for kids, it’s good for families, and it’s good for communities. It is absolutely foundational for growing a strong, healthy economy for the future, and it is a great equalizer for many women, who, in the past…. And I don’t want my male friends to get excepted, because I know many men who stay home and parent as well. But historically, and even today, it tends to be a majority of women. It will help that parent, whether it’s a woman or a man, who’s at home to be able to go back to work and to pursue their career path and to pursue their dreams as well.
During this pandemic, I have been so happy with the feedback that we have received on how individuals feel supported. That support has been there both financially and through services as well. You know, governments can’t fill every bit of the hole that has been left in people’s lives by COVID, the financial gap, but your government is committed to being there for you, both individually and collectively, and for your businesses to help steer us through this — not with full compensation but with some compensation to help us through these very, very difficult times.
It would be remiss if I didn’t acknowledge the work that the federal government has done to support individuals and communities through these challenges as well. Together, the provincial and federal have tried to make sure that we do address the inequities and provide support.
Besides the support for the individuals, we are committed to carry on providing more support for businesses. We heard the newly minted minister for jobs and technology talk about the amazing things that have been announced, supports that have been announced. I know that my phone has been ringing, and I’ve been phoning businesses in my community. I’m going to encourage them to go to the B.C. COVID business support line and see all the supports that are available for them, from the federal to the provincial. Know that your government is there to support you during these difficult times.
Yes, I hear the challenges that you are facing during this time in attracting labour, people not being able to fill some of those jobs, but also from the tourism industry — whether it’s the big banquet halls, the stand-alone banquet halls, the restaurant owners who, basically, have had their income impacted in a huge, huge way.
Surrey is home to many, many banquet halls that hold not only birthdays and other celebrations but weddings. I know that this wedding season, the halls are closed, and they are facing major challenges, and we are very cognizant of those. So please, once again, look at the supports that are available, both provincially and federally, and make sure you access those.
We always say that our small and medium-sized businesses are the backbone of our economy. I absolutely believe that, because any profit that these businesses make gets plowed right back into the economy again. These are the businesses that grow good-paying jobs in our communities right around this province.
So I want to say to them that we know this is difficult. We know there are challenges. But you need to know that your government is there for you. And once again, I would encourage you to connect with your local business association, your chamber of commerce, your board of trade and the B.C. government website for COVID-19 supports under the business community, business support, and see the different levels of support that are available.
I know that even with all those supports — and I hear from restaurant owners and the hall owners and small businesses that provide service constantly — it’s still challenging. The end is in sight, as I said earlier. What we need to be focused on now is safe reopening plans, when we can reopen. Let’s focus on those.
As I look at it during this time…. This is very difficult to say, because we like to think that we did racism in the ’80s and ’90s, that it was fixed and we put it in a little box and it went away and all racism ended.
We know that we have a long way to go to build more inclusive communities. Racism during this pandemic has reared its ugly head in a way that we haven’t seen for a while. Systemic racism and the systemic barriers for people of different ethnicities have been there, but this COVID has brought forward a marked level of racism that is very concerning for me as a mother, as a teacher, as a grandmother and as a citizen of British Columbia.
I have lived in B.C. since 1977. I can honestly say that I had my first, my very first, frontal assault — a racism interaction — recently when somebody rear-ended my car. What I had to listen to put me in shock. It put me in shock. Maybe it brought forward a lot of other memories and a lot of other pain, but I found that I didn’t really have the skills at that time except to remain a very nice human being, though my inside wanted to do more than that. My heart goes out to all people right now who are facing that additional level of racism, whether it’s in their workplace or whether it’s in their communities.
I’m hearing from people of Asian heritage in my community that they’re feeling it more, even when they’re out grocery shopping. I hear it also from my Muslim brothers and sisters in the community, that the level of racism has increased, and it is across the board.
This is a time for us to do more. I’m proud that our government not only has a parliamentary secretary dedicated to multiculturalism and anti-racism but that they are looking at legislation that will be coming forward to address systemic racism that exists.
We have a lot of work to do to build inclusive communities, because it’s not just about racism. It’s also about making sure that we are addressing the gender issues. It’s about making sure that we’re looking at sexual orientation and looking at those issues. It’s also ensuring that racism is not based on religion or other attributes as well.
When we’re looking at building safe and inclusive communities, we also have to look at our community that lives with disabilities and make sure that we address their concerns. I’m proud of the work we’ve done so far, and we have a lot more to do.
I think one thing we realized during this time is the need for those who are at the lowest level of income to have a livable wage. I’m very proud of the work that has been done by this government on raising the minimum wage, which is really, really critical. But we know that minimum wage is still a challenge for many people to make a living on. We know that those who are living on social assistance and those who are living on their disability pensions have all had major, major challenges. I’m pleased with the work that we have done in this area so far. I know that we have a lot more work to do to reduce barriers that exist for people in our communities.
We’ve got to stop siloing people. What we have to do is start building bridges between our different silos and make sure that we talk about equity rather than equality. It is equity that is going to get us to address the serious discrepancies that exist, because if we treat everybody equal at all times, then the discrepancies will make us more unequal. So equity becomes very, very important when we look at our policies.
We talk about the economy. We talk about looking after individuals. We talk about our businesses. But we know that one of the major challenges facing our generation…. Our generation, like many other generations before us, has more than one challenge. That is looking after Mother Earth. That is the environment.
Often people say that it’s the environment, or it’s the economy. No. It’s both. We are committed. I’m very, very pleased with the work that has been done so far on CleanBC, and we have a lot more to do. We’ve got to continue to do our work on protecting our old-growth stands and improving waste management for plastics and so much other stuff we have to do. The electrification of our vehicles…. I was delighted to see that B.C. once again is leading the country in having more electrification of our vehicles than any other province.
Once again, not going to stand there and say: “We’ve done it. It’s done.” We still have a lot more to do. Growing more sustainable, clean energy jobs — that has to be our focus while, at the same time, helping industries to transition into clean energy and managing waste.
I’ll have to do a shout-out to Surrey’s biofuel centre — I was there for the inauguration of it a few years ago — and how they’re using the waste to generate gas that then fuels the fleet of trucks and cars that the city runs. So for all of us, each and every one of us, governments can only do so much, but each of us needs to do our part to make sure we recycle, and we reuse. We are once again very thoughtful about how we use our resources.
At this particular time, a shout-out to our farmers as well. They’re facing challenges as well. Challenges with labour. Challenges with COVID — so many. I want to thank them for the amazing job they do in keeping us fed. Not just farmers here, but farmers around the world. As you know, we import our food from all over.
Right now, also, my heart goes out to the farmers in the Punjab — in India, not just in the Punjab — who have been demonstrating peacefully for a long time now. They are still there fighting for their rights. But here, to the farmers in British Columbia, I want to say that I know the berry season is here upon us, and we thank you for everything you do every single day. You keep us fed. I want to encourage each and every one of you who is listening today: buy local. Buy local. Buy local produce. It’s coming into the markets right now. Let’s help to support our farmers.
You know, one of the areas that is very close and dear to my heart is the digital era. As we know, across our province, there are many, many parts of the province that have huge deficiency when it comes to connectivity, when it comes to having Internet. There are some areas that still have dial-up, believe it or not. We have a lot of work to do. Once again, I want to thank the minister for the work that has been done to improve connectivity along the highways and for businesses and in our First Nations communities. Thank you so much for that.
We have a lot more to do because, now more than ever, under COVID, we have realized the importance of digital technologies, whether it’s for education; whether it’s for business, commerce or websites; whether it’s for tourism, health care — you name it, it is needed for all of that. I also want to say that I’m proud of the work we have done and we still need to do.
We have started to do our work with our Indigenous and First Nations communities on truth and reconciliation. But this is a journey. This is not a full stop. We have a lot of work to do. I invite all of us to give our full energy to doing that work.
I am coming towards the end of my time, so at this time, I do want to acknowledge and thank my family for their support, because without their support, I wouldn’t be able to do the job I do today. My son is an amazing source of optimism for me, as is my beautiful daughter who, no matter what challenge — and she faces many in her life — comes at it with: “Nope, these are the cards you’re dealt, so how do we move on?”
And to my grandchildren and to little Alliya, who gives me so much joy each and every single day, even though it’s by Zoom — 14 long months since I’ve given them a real hug and had a conversation in person, but thanks to Zoom and other digital technologies, I still get to partake in so much that they do.
I want to do a huge thank-you to my staff — Pavan Sodhan, Mindy Bansal and Jen Campbell — who work so hard to make sure that I am where I’m supposed to be to do the job I do. For people who come into my constituency office, Jen and Mindy are the people they see, and I get nothing but positive feedback. Thank you for making us all look so good, and thank you for what you do.
Deputy Speaker: Recognizing the member for Langley East to second the motion.
M. Dykeman: I rise to second the motion: “That we, Her Majesty’s most dutiful and loyal subjects, the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia in session assembled, beg leave to thank Your Honour for the gracious speech which Your Honour has addressed to us at the opening of the present session.”
It is a privilege to rise today to speak to the throne speech and to have the opportunity to speak in favour of the important investments our government is making through these most challenging times to support families, businesses and communities through a safe and stable recovery as we navigate the COVID-19 pandemic.
I would, too, like to recognize that today is an important day. It is Vaisakhi, a day of celebration and new beginnings.
It truly is such an honour to be the MLA for Langley East, which resides on the traditional, ancestral and unceded territories of the Matsqui, Kwantlen, Katzie and Semiahmoo First Nations.
I’m so very fortunate to represent such an incredible riding, something which I would not be able to achieve without the support of my two amazing CAs, Candy Ashdown and Carly Haugen, as well as my truly outstanding and lovely LA, Trudy Maygard — who somehow daily keep me focused and put up with my million questions. I am a very, very fortunate person to have such amazing people around me.
Although I have the honour to serve my constituency, without these people that I mentioned — who really do answer those day-to-day questions and help navigate my constituents through all of the challenges, especially with COVID-19 — I wouldn’t be able to represent this riding. The work really is split amongst the people who support us, and it’s something to remember every day: how fortunate we are.
With that, I’d also like to quickly just thank my children. As I entered into the role of MLA quite recently, my amazing children, MacKenzie and A.J., each day support me in this role. I’m a very lucky parent. I have two incredible children who are so supportive. As I think about that, my son is in grade 12. He’s graduating this year.
I think about all the children and youth of our communities who are navigating this pandemic. My heart goes out to them, especially our grade 12s, who each day are getting closer to graduation but haven’t been able to enjoy the regular events and the sort of pomp and circumstance that goes with the end of a journey.
Although difficult for all children, I just wanted to take a moment to quickly say that as your MLA and as our government, we recognize how challenging this has been for our youth and how difficult it is to have the distinct honour of coming up through the years and then to enter into a pandemic and have to navigate all of it. I want to thank all of our youth who have worked so hard to support our community through this pandemic, and I recognize how challenging it has been for them. As I said, this has been a most challenging year.
I have to say that recently, I had the honour to recognize some outstanding members of Langley East in our own community. During these times, we all have experienced how challenging this pandemic has been, though we have also truly heard inspiring stories, stories of kindness, compassion and generosity — something which needed to be recognized and honoured in our community. So our office put out a call for these stories to be submitted. We asked for people to nominate local COVID heroes, the unsung heroes, people that we don’t hear about every day, people who have just strived to make our community a little better each day.
[Mr. Speaker in the chair.]
The stories that we received were truly heartwarming. These stories included, for instance, Ashleigh Ramnarine, who has been a nurse for Fraser Health for over 16 years. She took a break from her job as a maternity nurse to become a contact tracer for communicable diseases, and then COVID-19 struck. Ashley was quickly promoted to head of contact tracing, where she has worked long hours and faced immeasurable stress over the past year, yet she has always remained humble and calm. Her dedication, strength and resilience are so admirable, and her team has greatly appreciated it.
We also heard that evening about Melissa Coombes and Jane Crompton. Melissa Coombes runs a sewing company out of her home called Active8 Athletics. Like many small businesses, when the pandemic hit, her business stopped, and she didn’t have any income. But that didn’t stop her from serving her community, from helping, from stepping forward. She jumped into action, and she made hundreds of masks for seniors, free of charge, even working ten to 14 hours a day, seven days a week at one point, because the demand was so high in the early days of the pandemic.
Much of this demand was from seniors in our community who didn’t have a way to get masks. They needed them. They were sold out, or they didn’t have transportation. So Melissa enlisted her family and her friend Jane Crompton to help. Jane drove around every evening to deliver all the masks that Melissa made, to seniors who needed them.
We also heard about Dr. Rita Wittmann, who is a respirologist in Langley. Her care and compassion have just touched so many lives through this pandemic. She has worked tirelessly to care for an influx of patients and has gone above and beyond in so many ways. Her patients have described her as very caring and gentle, with an excellent bedside manner.
She spoke to us about the challenges of being a health care worker during this pandemic, how the connection with patients is different, and how she saw many patients who didn’t have family. Hearing those stories really helped us understand what it was like to be on the front lines. She has really been an exemplary and truly shining example of how one person can really touch the lives of so many people with caring and empathy.
We heard about Hayley Legassie, a teacher in Langley who came to the rescue of many teachers and parents by developing an online learning platform to help teachers, parents and students navigate the pandemic’s shift to online learning for students. Hailey’s platform has been offered for use, free of charge, to schools closed due to quarantine during the pandemic.
We also heard about Marla Clark, a volunteer with the North Langley Baseball association, who has worked tirelessly throughout the pandemic to continuously adapt the baseball program and communicate with parents to ensure that children in Langley could continue to get outside and play baseball in a safe way.
Thinking about our youth, so many sports and other organizations that they belong to are really the core of their community. It builds a community. It makes a sense of belonging for children. There were many hurdles, and parents of kids who were able to play ball were really grateful to Marla for the caring, resilience and tireless work she displayed through this very difficult time.
We also heard about Angie Quaale, who, when COVID-19 struck, never missed a beat. She and her team both cooked and delivered gourmet weekly meals for front-line workers at Langley Memorial Hospital. She also created a virtual community for people to cook together online, chat about recipes and find connection in a world that was suddenly very isolating.
We heard about daycare providers like Ann Owsanski and Ivy Li. When the pandemic struck and essential workers had to continue their work, these two ladies kept their doors open and did an outstanding job, keeping their respective child care centres clean and safe. They kept up with the protocols and all the changes that businesses have had to navigate and kept parents informed, because it’s so challenging, during these times, to get information out.
Having to work during the worst stages of a global pandemic really has been incredibly stressful for every single worker, but having to juggle child care during this time certainly added to the burden. They always say it takes a village to raise a child. Ivy and Ann have created that village for the many parents who wrote to us to tell us about how much it has meant to them.
I heard from Allan Kayzis, who has been listening to Dr. Bonnie Henry on the news every night and, like many people here in B.C., found her to be a very calming and caring influence. This, I really have to say, is such a neat story. His gratitude for the calm that she’s brought to so many of us led him to create a beautiful hand-painted loon for Dr. Bonnie Henry, which I had the honour and pleasure of delivering to Dr. Henry in Victoria. She was very pleased with the incredible, thoughtful gesture. It really was a full-circle moment, being able to share kindness from our Langley community with Dr. Henry.
The loon, when I saw it for the first time, really took my breath away. It was a carved loon. It was a mother loon with a baby loon on the back. He was telling the story of how he likened the mother loon as Dr. Bonnie Henry, with the smaller loon on top being Dr. Bonnie Henry navigating us through uncharted waters. It was such a wonderful opportunity to get to bring this over. It’s stories like that that really provide hope through such challenging times.
Lastly, I’ll share one more story of a constituent in my riding, Augustino Duminuco. He has been running outreach programs for many years. During the pandemic, he and his foundation continued to offer their Haircuts for Hope program, surpassing 2,000 free haircuts for those in need. He and his team also continued to provide outreach, including clothing and food, to some of the most vulnerable people in our society.
Augustino was also instrumental in organizing toy drives this past pandemic Christmas, including one for an organization, which I’ve spoken about in this House previously, called Ishtar Women’s Resource Society, ensuring that every child and mother who were a part of their programs had the opportunity to receive a gift.
These stories really were such an inspiration during difficult times. Stories of those unsung heroes who stepped forward with a mission to support their community are important to celebrate.
At this junction, it’s a natural break, as I’m noting the hour when we’re nearing lunch. Noting the hour, I reserve my place to continue debate and move adjournment of the debate.
M. Dykeman moved adjournment of debate.
Motion approved.
Hon. M. Farnworth moved adjournment of the House.
Motion approved.
Mr. Speaker: This House stands adjourned until 1:30 p.m. this afternoon.
The House adjourned at 11:53 a.m.